Tony Mowbray welcomed the return of Ryan Nyambe and says the defender remains a work in progress.

The boss is keen to see full back Nyambe improve his use of the ball in the final third, as well as his heading, believing his physical attributes to match those of a Premier League player. 

The 20-year-old hadn’t played since limping out of the draw with Nottingham Forest on September 29 with a hamstring strain, and despite being back fit for the last two matches, he has had to wait for his opportunity.

But with Harrison Reed picking up an injury in the first half of the draw with Rotherham, Nyambe was brought on at the break, which saw Elliott Bennett move in to central midfield.

He had an instant impact with his strong running down the right, but Mowbray is still looking for the Namibian-born youngster to improve on his final ball.

He said: “It’s about end product with Ryan and something we work with him on every day.

“We work on his heading every day.

“He’s got the physical attributes to be a Premier League player, he’s a monster of speed, power and his physical stats in football matches are every game he ever plays in, miles ahead of anyone else.

“He just has to learn those technical things, how to head the ball, how to pick the right pass at the right time, the right weight, what clubs is he going to bring out of the bag when he gets in behind.

“We’ve been patient with him, he’s been fit for a few weeks now but we’ve gone with Elliott Bennett, Harrison Reed and Richie Smallwood in midfield, so we’ve had good options and utilised him off the bench.”